Electric controller



Dec. 27, 1949 I c H A ET AL $492,933

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER Filed March 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORSCHARLES P. HEYART Ewan R, R05 BY .M

Dec- 27, 1949 c. P. HEZYART ET AL 2,492,933

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER Filed March 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORSCHARLES P. HEYART ELMER R.ROSS

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 27, 1949 ELECTRIC CONTROLLER Charles P. Heyart,Lincoln Park, and Elmer E. Ross, Detroit, Mich, assignors toKelsey-Hayes Wheel Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of DelawareApplication March 14, 1949, Serial No. 81.300

4 Claims.

The invention relates to electric controllers and refers moreparticularly to controllers for electrically actuated brakes ofvehicles.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an improvedcontroller for an electric brake of a vehicle having its parts soconstructed that they may be economically manufactured and assembled incompact relation.

tion.

The invention has for another object to provide an improved controllerfor an electric brake of a vehicle which is provided with a stop light,the controller being provided with a brake control resistance winding, astop light control contact plate, a pivotal lever and control contactson the lever engageable with the resistance winding and contact plate.

With these and other objects in View the invention resides in the novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts asmore fully hereinafter set forth:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an electric controller embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a front elevation thereof with the front housing sectionremoved;

Figures 4 and 5 are cross sections on the lines ii and 5--5 respectivelyof Figure l.

The electric controller is designed for use with electrically actuatedbrakes of vehicles and more particularly trailers coupled to motorvehicles. As shown, the electric controller comprises the front and rearhousing sections l and 2 respectively which form a housing for thecontrol parts. The electric controller is adapted to be mounted on thesteering column of the motor vehicle by means of the bracket 3 securedto the rear housing section and the clamping members 4 and 5 secured tothe sides of the bracket, the bracket and clamping members being shapedto substantially conform to the steering column.

6 is the brake control resistance element mounted in the lower portionand extending transversely of the rear housing section and having theresistance winding 7 on the insulation spool 8 and exposed through awindow of the insulation. One end of the resistance winding is connectedto the wire 9 leading to the actuators of the electric brakes of thetrailer. It is a man- I ually operable lever pivotally mounted on therear housing section 2 and H is an arm within the housing swingable inunison with the lever. I2 is a shouldered pivot pin journaled in therear housing section 2 and the channel shaped bracket i8, the centralportion of the pivot pin being of greatest diameter and journaled in therear housing section and the reduced front end portion i i of the pivotpin being journalled in the front wall of the bracket through thebushing I5. The lever it is non-rotatably secured to the reduced rearend portion it of the pivot pin at the rear side of the rear housingsection 2 and the arm i i is non-rotatably secured to the reduced frontend portion as of the pivot pin between the central portion of the pivotpin and the front wall of the bracket 13. In the present instance, thereduced end portions of the pivot pin to which the lever and arm aresecured are formed with diametrically opposite flat sides and theopenings in the lever and arm are correspondingly shaped. The pivot pinhas beyond its reduced end portions i i and It the further reducedthreaded end portions ll and 58 which are engaged by the nuts is and 29respectively for securing the parts in place. The bracket l3 has at itssides the foot flanges 2% which are secured to the rear housing section2.

The arm H has secured to its lower end the insulation block 22 to whichthe resilient contacts 23 and 2d are secured. These contacts areconnected to the wire 25 leading to the source of electric energy suchas the electric battery of the motor vehicle. The manually operablelever I0 and arm Ii are normally retained in oil or inoperative positionwith the contact 23 out of engagement with the resistance winding 7 bymeans of the coil spring as which encircles the central portion of thepivot pin I2 and has one end 2i extending through a hole in the arm andthe other end 28 abutting an edge of the bracket For limiting theswinging of the lever It and arm H in a direction from the off positionto the on position in which the contact 23 engages the resistancewinding 1, there is the cam 29 within the housing and engageable withthe arm. This cam is an eccentric mounted on the shaft 3t which isjournalled in the front wall of the bracket is and the front housingsection l. 3| is a knob secured to the front end of the shaft andlocated externally of the housing to provide for readily rotatablyadjusting the eccentric to a position substantially in accord with theload being carried by the trailer whereby the electric controllercontrols the operation of the electric brakes substantially inaccordance with this load.

To hold the eccentric in adjusted position, its front face and the rearface of the front wall of the bracket l3 are radially serrated and thesefaces are resiliently held in contact by the spring washer 32 locatedbetween the front wall of the bracket and a collar on the shaft 30.

33 is a contact plate formed of electric conducing material Within thehousing and spaced from the resistance winding 7 and connected to thewire 34 leading to the stop light of the trailer. This contact plate ismounted on the rear side of the front housing section I and insulatedfrom this housing section by means of the insulation sheet 35. Thecontact plate is positioned with respect to the resistance winding sothat upon swinging of the lever l and the arm II from the oif positionand engagement of the contact 23 with the resistance winding the contact24 engages the contact plate 33 and completes the electric-circuit tothe stop light.

As shown the front housing section lis secured to the rear housingsection 2 by the pin 33 at the lower end of the front housing sectionengaging an opening at the lower end of the rear housing section and thescrews 31 extending through the uper end portion of the front housingsection and threaded into the upper end portion of the rear housing.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A controller for an electric brake of a vehicle provided with a stoplight comprising a housing, a brake control resistance winding withinsaid housing, a stop light control electrical conducting plate withinsaid housing and spaced from said resistance winding, a lever pivoted onsaid housing, anarm within said housing movable with "said lever,resilient control contacts on said arm engageable with said resistancewinding and plate and an adjustable cam within said housing engageablewith said arm to limit the swinging thereof in one direction.

2.. A controller for an electric brake of a vehicle provided with a stoplight comprising a pair of cooperating sections forming a housing, abrake control resistance winding mounted on one of said housing sectionsand located within the housing, a stop light control contact platemounted on the other of said housing sections and located within thehousing and spaced from said resistance winding, a manually operablelever pivoted on one of said housing sections, an

arm within the housing movable with said lever. resilient controlcontacts on said arm engageable with said resistance winding and contactplate and an adjustable cam mounted on one of said housing sections andlocated within the housing and engageable with said arm to limit theswinging thereof in the direction from the off position to theopposition.

3. A controller for an electric brake of a vehicle provided with a stoplight comprising a housing formed of front and rear housing sections, a

"brake control resistance winding within said housing and mounted on oneof said sections, a

stop light control contact plate Within said housing and mounted on theother ofsaid sections,

a manually operable arm within said housing and -pivotally mounted onone of said sections and resilient control contacts on said arm movableupon swinging of said arm from the off position to the on position intoengagement with said resistance winding and contact plate.

4. A controller for an electric brake of a vehicle comprising a housing,a brake control resistance winding within said housing, a manuallyoperable No references cited.

